Electrolytic cell



I. GE'RSTLE.

. ELECTROLYTIC CELL.

APPLICATION FILED mac. 6. 1920.

Patented Nov. 1, 1921.

Fig.

54L; ATTORNEY NE'EED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

JOHN GER'STLE, OFVDAYTON, OHIO, ASSIGNORTO THE E ECT-no CHEMICAL COMPANY, or DAYTON, OHIO, A OORPORATIONQF 01110.

ELECTROLYTIC CELL.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 1, 1921 Application filed December 6, 1920. Serial No. 428,463.

ToaZZ whom it may concern: Beit known that 1, JOHN GERSTLE, a citizen of the United States. residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio,- have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrolytic Cells, of which thefollowing is aspecification.

One of the principal, objects of my invention is to provide an electrolytic cell whose electrodes can be bodily removed in an easymanner from the electrolytic bath for in-- spection, cleansing. or replacement. The frequent cleansing of the electrodes, which my invention facilitates, is made necessary for the reason that in many electrolytic processes for example for making sodium hypochlorite an insoluble coating oflime is deposited upon the cathode. This deposit circuit the cell.

casement, and thus causes the proper circulation.

Another object of my invention is to pro vide bus bar connections that are so secured to the platesthat they will not touch the electrodes of opposite polarity to short 'tricity consumed this quantity being the must periodically be removed by dipping the electrodes in acid, or the voltage will run up so high on the cell, due to the resist- I ance of the deposit, that its electrical elliciency will be reduced to'an uneconomical point.

Another important object of my invention is to raise the plates above the floor of the cell tank. It so happens in electrolytic cells of this type that it is not practical to make the plates taller in proportion when increasr 'ing the capacity of the cell. The taller the plates, the greater the density of the hydrogen gas as you go from the bottom up.

This

gas forms a resistanceto the current,

and therefore if tharea of the plates is in- This means a large p If the capacity of a cell is'increased by giving the plates width,the cell tank be-- comes,squatty and covers too largea floor space. It is advisable, therefore, when increasing the capacity of a'cell, to'widen the plates and at the same time raise them off the floor of/the cell tank, The narrow space formed by the incasement of the plates, causes the evolved hydrogen gas to pull the i liquor upwardly from the bottom-of the cell,

rlst as an ascending current of air would do. his lncasement -1s not tight against the electrodes, and does not need to be so, since the hydrogen gas has enough force to carry the liquor bey'ondthe boundary'of the in-' electrodes 1", 2 and 3*.

product of the voltage and amperage, the

lower the voltage, the more efficient the cell is. By employing non-conducting spacing gaskets, the plates can be brought extremely close together without the mechanical difliculties experienced in placing the electrodes in slots.

Another object of my invention is the provision of means constructed of non-conducting material, for securely holding the plates together.

Other important and incidental objects will be brought out in the following specification, and particularly set forth in the sub? joined claims. t

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an end elevational view of my improved electrolytic cell. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the same. And Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a series of electrodes connected by my improved 'means.

ings similar reference characters denote cor respondingparts. Y L

. Referring tothe accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 designates a cell tank preferably oonstructed of non-conducting material such as soapstone. Mounted on the floor of the tank l is a circdlation incasement 2 preferably constructed of non-conducting material and provided in its preferably flaring base with circulation holes3 through wh Throughout the specification and draw-' thebrine 4 is adapted to enter its hollow I interior.

Secured within the middle portion of the incasement 2 is -a support 5 for a series of These electrodes, of which 1 and 3"-' may be the anodes and 2 the cathode,- are' preferably constructed of 55 cell without danger of short circuiting it.

graphite. These electrodes are preferably connected together at their bottom and upper middle portions by tie-,rodsfi and nuts 7 made of non-conducting material. The electrodes are spaced apart by gaskets 8 constructed of non-conducting material such as rubber.

bars must necessarily be quite thick and therefore means must be provided to prevent the bus bar from touching an electrode of opposite polarity to short circuit the cell. The means I employ for avoiding this difficulty will now be described. It will be noted from Figs. 1 and 2 that the cathode 2" projects well above the anodes 1 and 3. Secured to each side of the top portion of the cathode by rods 10 and nuts 11, is a transverse metallic member 9. One of these members is connected by a rod 12 and nuts 13, to a bus bar 14 that runs at right angles to said members 9 above the anodes 1 and, 3. Accordingly, there is no danger of the trailsverse members 9 and the bus bar 14 touching the anodes 1 and 3 to short circuit the ce The top front edge ofthe cathode 2 is cut away or notched above the shoulder 15 to provide a preferably right-angled recess which clears the following means for connecting the anodes 1 and 3 in the electrical circuit. The top outer edge of each anode is gripped by two vertical metallic members 16 which are firmly secured to said anode -posite polarity to short circuit the cell. 7 ig. 3 I have shown a number of electrodes .by rods 17 and nuts 18. One of these vertical members 16 on each anode is secured by rods19 and nuts 20 to a bus bar 21 which runs at right angles to said vertical members in the same direction as the bus bar 14.

The recessed portion of the cathode 2 is of suflicient width and depth to prevent these vertical members 16 .and the bus bar 21 from touching it to short circuit the cell. It is thus seen that no matter how close the electrodes are secured together, the bus bars 14 and 21 and the connecting members 9 and 16 will not touch the electrodes of op 11 connected together in this way. It is thus possibleto employ any number ofelectrodes compactly connected together in a single It will also be seen that by the use of my non-conducting gaskets 8 and the bus bar to be lifted bodily from 3 These holes and tlile space between the electrodes allow the hy rogen'gas evolved to circulate the electrolyte so that no outside means are necessary for this pur ose.

Having described my invention, claim:

1. In an electrolytic cell, the combination with spaced-apart electrodes, of supporting means therefor mounted on the floor of the cell, through which the electrolyte can pass to the space between said electrodes.

2. In an electrolytic cell, the combination with spaced-apart electrodes, of a hollow incasement mounted on *the fioor of the cell for supporting said electrodes, said incasement havlng openings in its base portion to admit the electrolyte for passage through it to the space between the electrodes.

3. In an electrolytic cell, the combination with an inner and two outer electrodes disposed closely together, the inner electrode projecting above the two outer ones, a pair of transverse metallic members connected to the top side faces of the inner electrode, a bus bar connected to one. of said transverse members above and out of contact with the outer electrodes, a pair of vertical transverse metallic members connected to the top side faces of each outer electrode beyond the vertical edge, and. above the horizontal edge, of a recess formed in the inner electrode, and a bus bar connected to one of each air of vertical members, said bus bar-passing through the recess in the inner member transversely to, and out of contact with, the latter. I

4. In an electrolytic cell, the combination with electrodes, of tie rods and nuts'of nonconducting material for connecting said electrodes together, and spacing gaskets of non-conducting material surrounding said tie rods-between the electrodes.

5. In an electrolytic cell, the combination with a base for the latter, and an electrode.

unit supported by said base .and adapted said basefor the purpose specified. I e A In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 3rd day of December, 1920.

- JOHN GER STLE. Y Witness: v

'HowA m S. SMITH. 

